


What Was He Thinking?

by knitekat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Bingo, Comics, Coming Out, Gen, Misunderstandings, Secrets, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 16:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7721533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knitekat/pseuds/knitekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lester wonders what on earth he was thinking when he offered to let Connor stay at his flat, knowing he risked his secret coming to light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Was He Thinking?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to Fredbassett for the beta.

Sir James Lester decided he needed his head examined. It was the only reason he could think of for suggesting Connor 'I'm-a-walking-disaster-and-not-just-for-my-dress-sense' Temple could stay at his town flat. Of course, at the time he'd been tired and the thought of all the paperwork he'd have to fill in if anyone else discovered Temple bunking down at the ARC had been foremost in his mind. Now, seeing Temple carefully putting his Star Wars action figures on the shelf and reverently placing his comic books on the bedside table, all that was on Lester's mind was that this was a terrible idea that he would soon come to regret, especially if Temple discovered his secret... 

That secret was the only reason Lester stopped on his way home and brought a packet of 'DO NOT' post-its and several black markers. It was also the reason he'd spent his evening, when Temple was out at the pub with the team, writing out several instructions and sticking them on his once-spotlessly clean walls, furniture and anywhere else he could think off. 

In truth, most of the post-its were camouflage for the important ones, although not the ones that told Temple not to answer the telephone or door. Lester did have an image to uphold and having a scruffy ex-student in his flat wasn't going to help.

***

Lester had started to relax. He'd become used to Temple sharing the flat and even to his two pests trying to destroy the place. He should have known it had been a mistake to take his eye off the ball and allow Temple to stay there all day, alone and bored, but he'd forgotten that a bored Temple was a dangerous thing.

The first sign of danger was when he'd opened his flat door to find his bedroom door ajar, the 'DO NOT: ENTER!' post-it on the door blatantly ignored.

The second was when he'd entering his bedroom, almost getting knocked over by the two pests when they made themselves scarce, to find one Connor Temple half-under his bed. 

The thought 'Oh fuck!' went through Lester's brain before he yelled, “Temple!” It was almost satisfying to hear the squeak Temple emitted as he scurried out from under the bed. Almost, until he saw the box in Temple's grubby paws. _Oh God, please, no._ All Lester could hope was that Temple hadn't looked inside and seen... Lester needed Temple out of his room now and growled, “Get out! Now!” 

Temple looked up into Lester's face, blinked and then swallowed hard at the angry look Lester knew was on his face. “Oh. Um, yes, ah, sorry,” he said as he scurried at speed out of Lester's bedroom and into his own.

Lester picked the box up and placed it carefully on his bed, his hands stroking over it and his face darkening when he felt the wet, gnawed cardboard beneath his fingertips. He turned angrily and yelled out of his door, “If I see them out of your room again, they'll be slippers.” Lester found it satisfying to hear Temple's meep before he slammed his door and shut the annoying man and his pests out. He knew it wasn't much of a threat, but still... it might give him some peace. 

It is only when Lester turned back to examine his box more carefully, his fingers resting on the lid, that his mind flashed back to the look on Temple's face. The way his face had brushed bright red and he'd looked at the box before letting go of it as if it was contaminated. The way Temple had stammered his words out and ran away as if a raptor was chasing him. Oh fuck! Temple probably thought he was some kind of pervert with a box full of sex toys... but maybe it was better that way. Maybe Temple would leave, or at least, leave him alone.

***

Of course, life didn’t work that way. Temple wasn't edgy around him, in fact, he looked like he wanted to ask questions. Whenever Lester entered his bedroom, he could feel Temple's eyes on him and could almost feel the boy's curiosity over what he was doing in there.

Maybe it would be better to just get it out of the way, to show Temple what was in the box and... Lester groaned. He had the feeling that would be even worse, Temple would be impossible after that. However, Lester decided, it was probably the lesser of two evils. He could just imagine Temple's curiosity getting the better of him, seeking out Quinn and Lyle to chat to and the whole sordid – and absolutely inaccurate – mess coming out. He could just imagine the look on Quinn's and Lyle's faces, them giggling like schoolboys and... fuck it.

Lester sighed in defeat and fetched the box, placing it on the table as he felt Temple's staring at him, wide-eyed and looking worried for once. 

“Temple, I'm trusting you to keep this to yourself.” When Temple only nodded, his eyes riveted on the box, Lester sighed and repeated, his voice firm and unarguable against. “I mean it, Temple. If I hear anything about this, anything at all, your short and miserable life won't be worth living. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”

Temple let out a small squeak and nodded so hard Lester wandered for an inane moment if he'd suffer whiplash. However, the welfare on one Connor Temple wasn't foremost in Lester's mind, no, the box was. Feeling he had made himself clear, Lester stroked a hand possessively over his box before opening the lid to reveal the contents to Temple. Lester held his breath as he waited in trepidation for Temple's response to what was inside the box. 

“Oh my God!” Temple gasped, on his feet and gazing into Lester's box, a hand hovering over it as he stared at the contents. “I can't believe...” He shook his head and looked up at Lester, “Can I touch it? Please?”

Lester sighed and reluctantly nodded. “Just... be careful.”

Temple reached into the box almost reverently, holding his breath as he carefully laid the contents onto the table. As his hand hovered over one of the items, his eyes widened and he gasped, “Oh my God!” He picked it up with a look of awe on his face. “I've been after this issue for years and this one is bloody mint.”

Lester nodded. “Temple... Connor, I'm trusting you.”

“I won't tell a soul,” Temple murmured distractedly as he stroked a finger over the item, almost caressing it. 

Lester had known revealing his secret would be a bad idea. “I mean it, Temple. Breath a word of this to anyone and I'll... I won't let you look at them.”

Temple tore his gaze away from the item and looked up to meet Lester's eyes. “I can look at them? Really?” 

Lester nodded, a heavy sigh on his lips. “Against my better judgement.”

“I won't tell a soul, I promise you.” Temple looked back down at the items spread across the table before grinning at Lester. “I never would have guessed you were a closet comic geek.” 

Now Temple knew his secret, all Lester could hope for was that he didn't live to regret it. If he did, Temple certainly wouldn't like the result.


End file.
